Brazil: 2 Argentines questioned about racial slurs

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) Two Argentine soccer fans are being investigated by Rio de Janeiro police for allegedly shouting racist slurs at Brazilians rooting for their team's World Cup rival.

Police confirmed in a statement that the incident happened Sunday inside Maracana stadium, during Argentina's match against Bosnia-Herzegovina. It said the two Argentines, whose identities were withheld, were questioned and then released from police custody.

The newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo said two people shouted ''little monkeys'' at a group of Brazilians who were cheering for Bosnia after its second-half goal.

Brazilian organizers are using the World Cup to draw attention to the country's racial diversity and President Dilma Rousseff has called on foreign visitors to help promote a tournament free of racism and prejudice.

Nine other Argentine fans were arrested Sunday for trying to force their way into the game without tickets. A video published on the website of the Rio newspaper O Globo shows a group of about 30 fans jumping over a wall and storming through a chain-link gate before being corralled by security officers.

Saint-Clair Milesi, a spokesman for the World Cup organizing committee, said authorities would tighten access to the stadium to prevent fans without tickets from posing a security risk.